Every year, many accidents happen at industrial workspaces such as factories and warehouses where heavy equipment like weighing systems are used. It is therefore important to take proper health and safety precautions to ensure that workers are safe. This is especially true when companies require weighbridges.

Managers responsible for health and safety at industrial workspaces need to carry out risk assessments that look into the potential hazards related to the weighbridges and mitigate the effects. In many facilities, the first and last place that vehicles transporting heavy goods will pass through is the weighbridge.

Weighbridge areas are important because during peak times, there is typically a lot of traffic. When bottlenecks occur as a result of the traffic, some drivers of heavy goods vehicles may be tempted to take a break, leaving them unmanned. This may open the area to a number of safety risks. The following are some considerations you should consider as a manager.

Traffic control

It is important that the traffic accessing the weighbridge area flow in a simple, straightforward manner. For drivers to know exactly where to go and what to do, there should be clear signage to provide proper guidance. A central traffic control center should be in place to ensure that queues are efficient. To assist with the control of traffic flow and prevent accidents, digital cameras, traffic lights, and access barriers ought to be setup at the weighbridge area. Inbound/outbound weighbridges

If your company’s site is extremely busy, it may be a good idea to set up a weighbridge for incoming traffic and another for outgoing traffic. In addition to reducing confusion by setting up a straightforward one-way flow of traffic, separate weighbridges such as those offered by AccuWeighing may double efficiently as each will only handle half of the traffic.

As a manager, your goal for the weighbridge area should be zero risks for drivers and other workers in terms of collisions, slips, and falls. The health and safety of workers are as important as the efficiency with which the weighbridge processes heavy goods vehicles.

Additional measures

It is essential that you provide safe areas on which drivers can dismount when they leave their cabs. Make sure that your weighbridge is wide enough to allow dismounting drivers plenty of room while they are on the ground. Furthermore, eliminate hazards by ensuring that the surface of the ground is flat, non-slippery, and clear of debris.

Steps and pathways should be well-constructed and should include safety barriers and handrails. These should also be kept free of contaminants and hazards such as mud or ice. It is advisable to be keen on providing adequate lighting to the entire area and ensuring that step nosing are painted with colors that are highly visible.

Closing thoughts

For numerous industrial sites, weighbridges are an essential part. They play a crucial role in collection and management of data demanded by state agencies. Using top-quality weighbridges will minimize or even eliminate workers’ health and safety risk, as well as increase efficiency of your weighing systems.